A Mother's Faith
by Roxotaku
Summary: 2nd Place Winner on Livejournal iyfic contest's Parents and Children theme. Izayoi worried about her son's friendlessness as a child, but gave him faith that one day he would not be alone.


It was a warm, sunny afternoon in the little garden where Izayoi liked to retreat with her young son InuYasha

A Mother's Faith

Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and I make no from this story.

It was a warm, sunny afternoon in the little garden where Izayoi liked to retreat with her young son InuYasha. She smiled at him as he turned to her with his ball in his hands, trying not to let her inner turmoil show on her lovely face. He gripped the ball carefully so as not to damage it with his short claws, as she had instructed him. If only he had a playmate, he did not fully understand why the human children of their village refused to play with him.

'Will my precious son grow up friendless and alone except for me?' Izayoi thought sadly, and folded her graceful hands in her lap so InuYasha would not catch her wringing them in anxiety.

"Mama, play catch with me!" InuYasha said, and Izayoi had to come out of her thoughts quickly and catch the ball that he threw her way.

Putting up her hands, Izayoi managed to catch it before it flew past her, and InuYasha laughed and clapped his hands happily, making her smile broadly.

"Good catch Mama, now throw the ball to me!"

"Here it comes, InuYasha!" Izayoi replied, and tossed the ball his way.

Izayoi's hanyou son leapt high, above the stone wall that surrounded the garden, to catch the ball in mid air. His grace and speed took her breath away, he was a flash of red and silver flying into the air. Something caught his attention on the other side of the wall and he glanced over before landing smoothly on the ground. Then she heard them, a group of laughing children, were coming their way. Oh no….

"InuYasha, come away from the wall…." Izayoi called softly.

"I want to see, Mama…" InuYasha replied, and to her dismay climbed the stone wall to peer at those who were coming.

"Dirty hanyou!"

"Bastard!"

The children's harsh words hit Izayoi to her very core. Taking a deep breath, she tried to quell the tears that threatened to come, as her son slowly climbed down off the wall. He turned to look at her with a hurt and confused look on his face that sent a knife right through her heart.

"Why do they always say that to me Mama?" InuYasha said. "Why are you the only one who will play with me?"

Opening her arms to him, InuYasha came running over and Izayoi took him in a warm embrace. Gently she smoothed his silver white hair, and he nestled his face on her collarbone. With a sigh she closed her eyes, trying to find a way to explain…No, the time was not now, but she had to say something.

"Someday you will have friends, my precious son," Izayoi said. "Those who don't accept you now don't matter. Just believe, there is always someone out there for everyone, even you."

The day had finally arrived, a day InuYasha had never dreamed would happen. He stood at Kagomes side and tried to be polite as their wedding guests came to say good bye at the reception. He could not help but steal glances at his beautiful bride, as she greeted everyone with the same warm, sweet manner he had so come to cherish. But his eyes kept also straying to his close friends nearby, who were making no moves to leave yet.

Miroku and Sango sat at a small table under a tree with their three children. While Sango nursed the youngest, Miroku entertained the other two. They looked so happy, and motherhood suited the demon slayer better then he would have believed. Watching the loving expression on her face as she looked at her baby stirred something inside him…..memories?

"What is it InuYasha?" Kagome suddenly said softly at his side. "You look so uncharacteristically pensive."

Startled, InuYasha was flustered a moment, but Kagome put a reassuring hand on his arm and smiled.

"Don't be alarmed," Kagome said. "You know you can tell me anything with no fear."

No fear…no fear of rejection, InuYasha knew she meant. And he knew it was true.

"I wished…I was thinking about my mother," InuYasha said, and looked at the ground. "She would have loved to see me on my wedding day. I wish…I could have told her she was right."

"Right about what?" Kagome asked, looking up at him with brightly shining eyes.

"That one day even I, a despised hanyou…would have friends."

InuYasha felt Kagome put a hand on his cheek, and he slowly looked up into her face full of love and sympathy. It brought him out of his reverie, and back into this momentous day.

"More than friends InuYasha," Kagome whispered. "Because now I am officially your wife – although my heart has belonged to you for years."

'Mother, if you can see me now….thank you for never losing faith that this time would come for me.' InuYasha thought, and bent down to give his new bride a gentle kiss..


End file.
